Workers learned their bathroom breaks were tracked, so they found a loophole — costing the company $50,000
A practice for 'security purposes' turned into one of the most expensive mistakes the company ever made.
A company’s attempt to monitor its employees backfired badly after workers realized their bathroom breaks were being tracked. Reddit user u/GregB4789 revealed how one overzealous attempt, introduced under the guise of "security," ended up costing the company $50,000. The post, which gained 42k upvotes and thousands of comments, explained that management began calling employees for one-on-one meetings within weeks, asking why some were "away from their desks so frequently." It didn’t take long to figure out that every bathroom visit, coffee refill, and lunch break was being logged.
"Turns out they were tracking our bathroom breaks, how long we took for lunch, everything," the post read. One coworker was questioned for "spending too much time in the break room." They had IBS, which led to a formal complaint to HR. However, the decision soon "backfired" when employees stopped talking to management altogether, which soon proved to be costly. "Before, if you saw a problem or had an idea, you’d just walk over and mention it. Now? Nobody moves unless absolutely necessary," the employee wrote in their post.
"Last month, a machine broke down because nobody wanted to walk across the building to tell the supervisor about a weird noise," the Redditor wrote. "Cost the company $50k in repairs and lost production. When management asked why nobody said anything, the response was 'didn’t want it to look like I was away from my desk too long.'" Instead of removing the scanners, management scheduled mandatory "collaboration sessions" to discuss why communication had dropped. "We all just sit there in silence," the post said. "Nobody’s explaining that we’re doing exactly what they wanted — staying at our desks and not moving around unnecessarily."
Months later, nothing had changed. "The tracking is still active. Communication is still dead. It’s honestly beautiful to watch," the employee wrote. The results were obvious, proving that when employees are under constant digital surveillance, companies end up paying the price. A report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted that constant monitoring makes workers feel "on edge" and less willing to share feedback or raise issues. Employees often fear their digital activity will be used against them, which harms morale and trust. The GAO found that excessive tracking can quietly erode communication across teams.
The post drew a range of reactions from users who had dealt with similar workplace monitoring. u/mshoneybadger wrote, "I hope you all take bathroom breaks together now. Seeing 20 people walk to the bathroom for an approved amount of time will also make them livid." u/Diplomatic_Gunboats said, "It's not even collective action, it's in everyone's own individual best interest to be sat at their desks, lest they get written up. When you create a situation that punishes everyone, it's not surprising that everyone protects themselves."
u/Fun-Significance4650 added, "This is what happens when a company treats their employees like children who need to be babysat. Absolutely ridiculous to expect people to sit at their desk 8 hours straight." u/Shadowpriest wrote, "I guess they look forward to being sued for the next medically related bathroom issue." u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348 commented, "Why do so many workplaces insist on being adult day care centers? As long as the work gets done in the time expected, why does anyone care where you are in the building? I hope everyone who had a documented medical condition at least talked to a lawyer."
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